Adventure OTS, 13 Night Snowbird Migration Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale Oct. 8, 2018

[FlowBro Ty]

If I Was On This Voyage The Flowrider Will Not Be Empty  

[rjac]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

I've gotta keep my step count up to beat @ellcee on her Anthem cruise.

So, how many? Looks like a great town for a walk. 

[Boston Babe]

@twangster, again your pictures just lure you in. Awesome! We are hoping to be there next July on AOS for our 25th!!  Can't wait to see more!

[Sweety]

Thank you for your beautiful pictures.

[WAAAYTOOO]

9 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

 

I absolutely LOVE the gangways they have here !  Nice and SHORT.  The one they have getting on/off the ship in Baltimore is MILES long.  I hate it.  This makes so much more sense to me.

The reversing falls is very intriguing.  I knew about the Bay of Fundi's tides but I had no idea about a river that reverses its course (same causal factor, I'm thinking).  This will be a must-see on our NE/CAN cruise on Grandeur next Sept.

[monctonguy]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

Back in the tent I immediately smelled the fudge. 

Okay @monctonguy  since I am in your home Province and a mere 90 minutes away from Moncton, I've had enough of your Canadian ...

And keep your Moose stuff ...

to yourself.

Lol..you weren't far away at all!!!...glad you are enjoying the Canadian east coast...that restaurant at the reversing falls just opened recently....looks like they did a good job with it. Glad you got to enjoy a Moosehead..its good beer!....enjoying your blog as I am so close and familiar with these ports......

[Susie]

Enjoy your blog. I cruised New England & Canada cruise 8 years ago. It really nice to see all these pictures and bring back my memories. By the way, your pictures are so great. If you won't mind what is the camera you use? 

[GoodSmith]

Who in his right mind would market chocolate like that ?!
Saint John has many other sights , but going to the reversing river was very well worth it!

I am still following this blog and enjoying every bit of it.

[twangster]

4 hours ago, rjac said:

So, how many? Looks like a great town for a walk. 

Halifax - 26,423

Saint John - 22,245

 

[GoodSmith]

One thing I forgot to mention, you seem to do your research very well before each port while preparing this blog. It's very informative and truly feels like a free virtual shore excursion

[rjac]

27 minutes ago, twangster said:

Halifax - 26,423

Saint John - 22,245

Good thing your beer and food intake is high, with all those steps you'll just whither away to nothing! 

[monctonguy]

51 minutes ago, twangster said:

Halifax - 26,423

Saint John - 22,245

 

And a lot of those Halifax steps would be on some pretty good hills!

[arebee]

1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

And a lot of those Halifax steps would be on some pretty good hills!

Yeah, doubt I can do them anymore.  We spend a week in Vancouver and I hurt almost all the time.  Getting old isn't for the weak...

[twangster]

Day 8 - Bar Harbor, Maine

Arrival in port at 7am however we have to be processed by U.S. Customs and Immigration and this is a tender port.   We anchored near 7am but a letter dropped in my cabin stated to be in the MDR on deck 5 at 9am based on my deck.  Non-U.S. Citizens were instructed to go to the Imperial Lounge for processing.  Permanent residents were to go to the MDR with U.S. Citizens.

I ventured out to the Peak-a-boo bridge to see what I could see.  A first glimpse of Bar Harbor.

A look towards the town.

Lots of these islands dot the waters.

I assumed some excursions where picking up from the ship but it turns out they used these excursion boats as tenders for us.

Walking to the Windjammer I saw they had set up chairs as barriers in the Promenade.

After breakfast I went back to my cabin to get my things together and kill time until it was my time.  At 8:35am I thought I'd venture down and see what lines were like.  They were pretty short so I jumped into the queue where they scanned my SeaPass card (for attendance purposes) and then an immigration officer inspected our US passports.  It went pretty quick and they marked my SeaPass to indicate I had been processed.

With that I headed down to the tenders and walked right on one waiting for me.

Very pleasant ride over to Bar Harbor that lasted maybe 10 minutes.  Our boat had an excursion guide who pointed out items of interest such as this original single mast lobster boat that would have been used back in the day.

A four masted sail boat was waiting for guests. He also suggested that fall colors were beginning to peak.

By 9:10am I was on the pier.

 

[FlowBro Ty]

Keep Up The Good Twangster

[twangster]

Bar Harbor is a quaint little town.  I didn't have any plans or an excursion so I just started walking.

A whale jumped onto the pier to greet me.  Just kidding.

Continuing through town...

I came across a sign for Bar Island Path so I took it.

I noted this warning.  

This is the 'Bar' in Bar Harbor. A sand bar.

As luck would have it we were nearing low tide.

 Lot's of birds looking for a meal. 

Apparently they were finding one.

Along one edge of the bar is a natural raised beach of rocks that makes for a great walking path.

Once across the bar you reach Bar Island.

Bar Island is part of the Acadia National Park.

Tidal charts posted and a dire warning for anyone that thought parking on the bar would be a good idea.  Someone had a bad day.

I didn't have my park pass with me so I didn't enter the park.

Looking back towards the mainland. 

Walking back towards land the shore was very beautiful lined with trees displaying their fall colors in the sunshine.

With that complete I started back towards the harbor area.

Fishermen at work. Beyond the boat you can see the bar and the Bar Island path.  Looks like the tide is rising.

Here in America they didn't feel the need to point the cannons at the ship like they did in Canada.

Walking through town a lot of stores had end of season clearances going on.  T-shirts and sweatshirts for $10, etc.  

I found an interesting store called "In the Woods" with wooded items carved from fallen trees.

I ended up with a salt and pepper grinder set.

[GoodSmith]

Very pretty.

Was the tender boat between the ship and port free of charge?

[twangster]

We had changed time last night which meant it was noon where we had come from.  Time for a beverage and some lunch.

Leary's Landing Irish Pub seemed about right.  They had Guinness on draught.  That's always a good sign.

A Rising Tide IPA from Maine seemed appropriate.

Haddock Fish and Chips.

Earlier when we first arrived and set anchor the Captain had warned us that rain would move in later in the day.  It was beginning to cloud over so I decided to head back to the ship.

Remember the Bar?  And the warning about getting stranded on Bar Island?  Someone didn't read the sign.  Tide was coming in.  

They aren't walking on water.  They are walking in water.

As the tender pulled out and headed towards the ship the Bar was once again almost completely submerged.

One last look towards the shore of Maine.

Here are the salt and pepper grinders I have as a memento of my trip here today.

[twangster]

7 minutes ago, GoodSmith said:

Was the tender boat between the ship and port free of charge?

Yes.  Tender's (when required) are always free, or included.  It's usually built into the port fees and taxes we all pay as part of our cruise fare.

[twangster]

Our progress to date...

[WAAAYTOOO]

What a quaint town. Looking forward to seeing it next year.

[The Cruise Junkie]

As Of Now Will You Be Stopping In Boston 

[twangster]

5 minutes ago, Twangster Fan said:

As Of Now Will You Be Stopping In Boston 

No reason to expect us to skip Boston.  It remains a stop listed in the app.

[The Cruise Junkie]

Just now, twangster said:

No reason to expect us to skip Boston.  It remains a stop listed in the app.

I did not see it there that's why I asked 

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 hours ago, GoodSmith said:

One thing I forgot to mention, you seem to do your research very well before each port while preparing this blog. It's very informative and truly feels like a free virtual shore excursion

LOL!!!  Have you seen his scopes???!  The man is a walking encyclopedia!  That is also where the nickname "Twangsterbot" comes from 

@twangster I am loving these pics of the ports of call.  Even if @Matt doesn't organize a Canada/NE GC, I am pretty sure the is next on the booking list while I wait for Oasis 5.  Thanks for doing this!

[twangster]

The Captain had predicted rain and he was right!

No MDR menu in the D lounge tonight so no menu picture.  

Caribbean night in the Windjammer.  Jerk Chicken Pizza!  Yum!

[twangster]

On 10/15/2018 at 8:10 AM, Susie said:

 By the way, your pictures are so great. If you won't mind what is the camera you use? 

I'm cruising with a new camera this trip.  It's a Sony RX100M6, the latest version in the RX100 series of cameras.

Every picture in this blog was taken by this point and shoot camera except the very first bagel picture I took with my phone.

Here is my set up:

The tripod helped me take the night shots around Quebec City and it's small enough to carry in a pocket.  

As point and shoot cameras go, this is an expensive camera.  However it allows me to shoot in the RAW format and that is the biggest factor in making pictures that much better plus it has a 24-200mm zoom lens that I've really appreciated on this cruise.

I brought my "big" camera but I really wanted to test if I could blog an entire cruise with something more travel friendly and so my big camera has yet to be used on this trip, it's locked in the safe.

The saying goes "the best camera is the one you have with you" but I was disappointed in my iPhone camera when I tried to use it exclusively on my last Adventure cruise in May.   This camera fits in my pocket.  

To be fair, shooting in RAW and using Lightroom makes a big difference.  It's clearly not as good as my Sony A7III but I can take it with me everywhere.  It just slips in my pocket and it isn't the albatross around my neck that my big camera turns into on a 7 or 8 mile walk around a city.

[twangster]

1 hour ago, Twangster Fan said:

I did not see it there that's why I asked 

I'm not overly concerned about that.  We already have 2 sea days after Boston.  I can't see them giving us 3 sea days in a row unless they have to.

[Susie]

27 minutes ago, twangster said:

I'm cruising with a new camera this trip.  It's a Sony RX100M6, the latest version in the RX100 series of cameras.

Every picture in this blog was taken by this point and shoot camera except the very first bagel picture I took with my phone.

Here is my set up:

 

The tripod helped me take the night shots around Quebec City and it's small enough to carry in a pocket.  

As point and shoot cameras go, this is an expensive camera.  However it allows me to shoot in the RAW format and that is the biggest factor in making pictures that much better and it has a 24-200mm zoom lens that I've really appreciated on this cruise.

I brought my "big" camera but I really wanted to test if I could blog an entire cruise with something more travel friendly and so my big camera has yet to be used on this trip, it's locked in the safe.

The saying goes "the best camera is the one you have with you" but I was disappointed in my iPhone camera when I tried to use it exclusively on my last Adventure cruise in May.   This camera fits in my pocket.  

To be fair, shooting in RAW and using Lightroom makes a big difference.  It's clearly not as good as my Sony A7III but I can take it with me everywhere.  It just slips in my pocket and it isn't the albatross around my neck that my big camera turns into on a 7 or 8 mile walk around a city.

4

@twangster Thank you for the info. No wonder your pictures look like a postcard. It is a little pricey but it well worth it. LOL, I still have my ancient 6 years old Nikkon and my phone(newer than my camera). Thinking to get a new camera but might be in the $500 though not a $1000. Just booked MSC Seaside for summer and plan to book a cruise for Easter so will see how much $$ I can spend. Enjoy the less of your trip.

[FlowBro Ty]

Twangster At The Look Of It I Will Miss Seeing You In Port Canaveral Because My Sailing Out Of The Port Is On Sunday And You Will Be There On Satday     

[Sweety]

Can't wait for July 2019. Can/NE here I come.

[firebuck]

16 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Ok - I've got to find that "Lord Hobo Boomsauce" IPA.  That name is pretty epic!

[twangster]

Day 9 - Portland, Maine

I woke early and headed top side having seen the lights of a city on the horizon.

Behind us was the makings of a glorious sunrise.

Looks like an old fort or something in the harbor, will have to look into that.

Portland was growing larger as we approached the pier.

We began making a 180° turn.

The sun was starting to rise above some clouds on the horizon.

With the city started to be bathed in sunlight I could pick out some interesting architecture.

Our progress so far...

[Bigred]

@twangster check out Bissell Brothers Brewery as you are exploring Portland. It will not disappoint.

[Boston Babe]

1 hour ago, Sweety said:

Can't wait for July 2019. Can/NE here I come.

Don't forget me!!! LOL

[Sweety]

5 hours ago, Boston Babe said:

Don't forget me!!! LOL

Oh yes, I am looking to cruising with you and Jack.

[twangster]

Portland Maine, continued...

I worked for a few hours in the morning.  A client reached out and it never hurts to help pay off the next cruise, so...

Around 11:30am I ventured off the ship.

There is more than one cruise terminal in Portland but this one involved a decent walk from the ship to the terminal.

It's a small terminal, no shops inside.  A much smaller ship was embarking today and there were some boarding crowds queuing up for it.

The grounds are very nice in the area.

An old tugboat propellor with local history was on display.

Local art included two deer placed on stilts on old posts left over from days gone by.

Walking uphill with no particular destination in mind...

What do you know, I came across a brewery.

They had a tasting bar with $6 flights.

Winning numbers in today's beer lottery... 4,5,7 and 14.

Yum.

[GoodSmith]

12 minutes ago, twangster said:

What do you know, I came across a brewery.



 

With your educated knowledge of each port, I highly doubt you arrived here by accident

[twangster]

After I walked along the shore near the cruise terminal.

Hallelujah!  I finally found the place where ships go to get fixed up!

Like our previous ports Portland contains interesting architecture.

This place seemed popular.

Since I'm not that much into seafood, I jumped in a Lyft ride to the Bissell Brothers Brewery.

The Substance Ale

Followed by Nothing Gold.

Beer can art.

With that consumed it was time to head back.  An Uber ride cab to the port was $8.  Both drivers commented how business was up substantially because the cruise ships were in town.  The NCL Gem followed us into port and the combined numbers really drove business.  Both drivers said the ships were a huge boost to tourism and businesses.

I stopped at a local bakery for a bite to eat.

That's the Gem in the background.

Tide was rising, the deer's legs had grown shorter.

Not quire ready to re-board I walked up the shore a bit.

There is a narrow gauge railroad museum here.

Finally it was time to head back.

While I was near the railroad museum I saw parents dropping off their kids for something.  Sailing club.  They were practicing maneuvering by following the leader in and around the many moored boats in the marina next to the ship.

Since I was in the area I dropped into the Viking Crown Lounge a few minutes before Diamond happy hour began.  They were already lining up while they continued to set up the bar.  Not a seat to be had with another hour until all aboard time.

[GoodSmith]

22 minutes ago, twangster said:

That's the Gem in the background.



The only gem I see here is in the foreground